General soy sauce at store is sweet and salty than salt. Of course, the sweet doesn't mean the sweet of sugar. Soy sauce is good for a cooking has a dark color as brown. It can be used for side dishes of rice, a soup, a salad and a sauce for fried foods. Soy sauce is made from soy beans and salt. Korean mothers make soy sauce at home. The process takes many times and is needed a lot of efforts. There are two types of soy sauce in South Korea. One is called Jo-sun Ganjang and the other is called Yang-jo Ganjang.
Jo-sun Ganjang is a traditional Korean soy sauce. It is also called Kuk ganjang. It is less sweet, more salty and flavor. You can feel it has a bad taste at first but the taste is closer to an original Korean's sauce taste. The other one, Yangjo Ganjang is a brewed soy sauce. It's sweeter than jo-sun ganjang and is normally used for many foods. The soy sauce you buy at a market is yangjo ganjang. You can find a josun ganjang at store but the taste is different with mother's. I think josun ganjang at store is less salty, not flavor.
My mother use jo-sun ganjang when she makes sea mustard soup. The taste is better. Words in English is not enough to tell the taste. The taste is like clean, light and neat even if it's really salty.
It is a simple recipe to make it by yourself. The original recipe is more complicated.
Where do you put the pot?
You should put your pot outside if it is possible. The wind makes the taste better and delicious. When the day is good, open the pot for a while and close it before dusk. Let it avoid direct sunlight if it's possible. It is known airy and shady place is good to keep the pot for better taste and color. However, my mother occasionally opened the pot under the strong sunlight for sterilization. When you do like my mother, the color will be darker.
01. Wash clean blocks of fermented soybeans. Dry throughly the blocks well.
02. Wash the inside of the pot with hot water and put the blocks in it.
03. Make salty water and pour it. The water should be really salty. Cover with a kind of gauze, cotton mesh or net to allow air to circulate before cover the lid of the jar.
NOTE.
Traditionally, you had to make a block of fermented soybeans called Me-ju in person. It is 2017, so you don't need to make it. Just buy them.
If it is possible to buy, I recommend a Korean's earthen pot called Hang-Ari.
I hope it is helpful to understand another food culture from South Korea. Additionally, I want to let you know the post comes from my personal memory and indirect experience. It means that it's not a professional post. Try to find more information if you are interested in more details.
Photo Story by @bontonstory
